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Policy
The rules of the game—and the attitudes of the players—have an enormous effect on community development work at all levels. Here we look at some of the conversations about how to shift that policy for the better.
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Blocked, Restored, Blocked Again—Housing Funds Are in Legal Limbo
Since Trump took office, the administration has blocked multiple affordable housing funding streams. Here's a look at which funds have been frozen, which have been reinstated, and which are in the courts.
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Interview with HUD Secretary Julian Castro
Shelterforce got a chance to speak with Secretary Julian Castro about some of the current ways in which he’s working to make HUD a force for good in people’s lives, and what steps there are left to be taken.
Why the Presidential Race Ignores Urban America
[Editor’s note: The following piece originally appeared on the BeyondChron.org website on Jan. 28, 2016] Despite overwhelming media coverage, the 2016 presidential race has ignored the housing and economic crises […]
Building Children Out of Our Cities
It’s been said that children are the indicator species of urban health and great neighborhoods, and by this measure, Oakland is in trouble.
Public Benefits and Bank Mergers
Community organizations are generally aware that when a bank wants to acquire another bank, it must submit a merger application to a federal agency. But many community organizations may not […]
Government on the Ropes—Nonprofits Step In
The loss of community development staff working at the City of Flint, Michigan, threatened the existence and continuity of many of its housing programs and services. Through partnerships forged among […]
How to Prevent the Next Mortgage Crisis
Yes, we need to finally achieve certainty in our housing finance system. But not the way most people are suggesting.
Unfriend Your Neighbor to Get a Loan?
Want to be that one person who bootstraps themselves out of poverty and makes it, against all odds? Not if Facebook has anything to do with it. Now, we already […]
Vulnerable Workers
Anti-immigrant laws and the lack of a solid path to citizenship leave immigrant workers vulnerable to exploitation—and harm the whole community.
Harnessing Immigrant Entrepreneurship for Economic Growth
Last week’s release of Bread for the World’s new paper on immigrant small businesses was marked by racial tension from unexpected quarters, as audience members and presenters at a joint […]
Interview with Mayor Ivy Taylor, San Antonio, Texas
The first African-American mayor of the largely Latino and Anglo city, and strongly identified as an urban planner, Taylor casts herself as someone interested more in getting work done than leaving a political legacy. However, she has not shied away from controversial positions, and her initial position that she would not be running for re-election fell by the wayside as she announced her candidacy on February 16, less than two weeks after this interview.
There’s Really No Argument Against Disparate Impact
When a housing policy has the effect of perpetuating racial exclusion, and that policy is unnecessary or unjustified, it must be set aside or changed under the Fair Housing Act, whether or not the politicians who passed it were intentionally focused on racial discrimination. But now, that important principle is at risk.
Amidst Congressional Missteps, Housing Opportunities Remain
Here in Washington, Congress has finally done its primary job: that of funding the government. The process of last-minute scrambling and late-night bargaining is clearly no way to run a government—as members of Congress and their staff become harried, priorities don’t get properly vetted. This style of governance also offers an opportunity for special interests […]